Helping Rose
by Bimefl
Summary: Eleven said, "I can help Rose Tyler with her homework." So he does, or tries to, but realizes some things are better left alone. Minor Eleven/Rose


"Another note home from school?" Jackie glanced up from the paper Rose had tossed at her before storming into her room.

"It's nothing, Mum," Rose shouted back, slamming the door behind her.

"Rose Tyler, you get back here this instant!" Jackie demanded, rising from her chair. The tone in her mother's voice convinced Rose to cautiously open the door, peering sheepishly from her room. Jackie raised an eyebrow at the display. "It says here you haven't been turning in your science homework for the past term." Rose avoided her mother's eyes. "Why not?"

Rose twirled a piece of hair around her finger. "Because it's useless and I don't get it."

"Don't you want to finish year 11? You'll never get anywhere in life without a good education," Jackie scolded.

"Who cares? I'm not going anywhere anyway," Rose spat back. "I'm just going to get a job at a shitty shop and live here the rest of my life."

"Watch your tongue, young lady," Jackie snapped. She brought a hand up to try and smooth the lines forming on her brow. "What about a tutor?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Some creepy old guy trying to teach me about biology? No thank you." She leaned against the door frame and crossed her arms.

"Becky from the cafe just hired some young man to help her son with English. There's an agency set up for it, it won't be that bad," Jackie insisted, settling back into her chair. "I can get the number from her tomorrow."

"No, Mum, just no. We can't afford this."

"Rose, I'm done discussing this. I'll not be having you drop out like I did. It's worth the money, trust me. I'm getting you a tutor tomorrow and that's final." Jackie turned her attention back to the show she'd been watching, closing the topic for discussion.

Rose made a disgusted noise and slammed the door, picking up the phone to call Micky and complain.

They didn't talk about it again for a few days. Rose hoped her mother had forgotten about the whole thing but one morning at breakfast the Science Situation, as Rose had been silently referring to it, resurfaced.

"I found you a tutor," Jackie stated. Rose stared back aghast as Jackie sipped her tea. "You'll be meeting him after school at the corner cafe."

"Like hell I will," Rose found her voice.

"I thought I made it clear this wasn't open to discussion?"

Rose made a face. "I won't go," she threatened.

"You'd better if you don't want to end up grounded for the weekend," Jackie grinned. Her daughter pressed her mouth into a thin line and narrowed her eyes, but made no reply. "I met him yesterday at the agency. His name is John Smith."

"Sounds like an old creepy man," Rose muttered under her breath, taking another bite of toast.

Jackie smiled, looking a bit creepy herself. "He's quite a nice looking bloke, actually. Young, too. And incredibly smart. Used all these big words when I asked him what topics he was knowledgeable in." She trailed off a bit. "Right, so that's settled then." She got up and grabbed her bag. "Off to work then, darling, see you tonight." She ignored any sounds of protest Rose made and quickly left.

Rose sighed heavily and cleaned up their breakfast dishes before heading out herself. The majority of her day in school was spent coming up with excuses to tell her mother when she got home and found out Rose hadn't gone to meet the tutor. The rest was spent making alternative plans for her afternoon. She and a few girlfriends decided to head to the mall for sweets.

They had settled in the food court with smoothies by the time Rose was scheduled to meet the tutor and she'd forgotten all about it. The friends rehashed the day's gossip and started a few rumors of their own in a giggling high-pitched cacophony. It was interrupted when one stopped mid-sentence to stare open-mouthed across the room. The others turned sharply to follow her gaze. They quickly re-grouped and started giggling uncontrollably.

"Oh my god!" Rose exclaimed, catching her breath first. "Did you see that bow tie?"

"Yes!" her friend replied. "Who the hell wears those anymore? And what's with the hair?"

"And the tweed!" another chimed in. "What a freak."

"Jesus, he's looking this way," Rose ducked her head down and looked the opposite direction. Her friends were still twittering with laughter when the stranger stopped at their table. She cautiously lifted her head to look at him. He was dressed like a train wreck from another era with a tweed jacket, suspenders, and a bow tie, but he was pretty cute otherwise. And he was staring at her with a most peculiar look gracing his features. "Um, hi?" Hints of sarcasm crept into her voice.

"Rose," the Doctor breathed, a small smile turning up his lips.

"Um, yeah?" she replied. She glanced at her friends, who were failing to entirely suppress their laughter. "Do I know you?"

"Uh, no, sorry, no, um..." the man shook his head. "Sorry, I'm Smith, John Smith."

The name jangled around in Rose's head, seeming to have a significance she couldn't remember. "Sorry, but is that supposed to mean something to me?" Her tone was becoming mocking.

"We had an appointment at the cafe, tutoring," he grinned.

Rose turned several shades of red as her friends burst out laughing. "I think you have me confused with someone else."

"Not a chance, Rose Tyler." The way he said her name was off, like it meant something to him. "Your mother hired me, set up the meeting."

"Then why are you here?" Rose bit back.

He smiled again. "She told me you wouldn't show up, and that I should look for you here."

"Bitch," Rose muttered under her breath.

"Language, young lady," the Doctor scolded, waving a finger in her face. "Anyway, come along, we have learning to do!" The excited tone in his voice caused Rose to cringe. "No time to waste, clock's ticking," he picked up her backpack and kept rattling on. "Your mother would be very upset to learn you didn't show up, and I could forget to mention that when I talk to her. She said something about grounding? Not sure what that is, but it sounds bad."

Rose sighed, sending apologetic glances at her friends. "See you guys tomorrow."  
>"You're actually going with him?" one of her friends exclaimed.<p>

"Yeah," Rose rolled her eyes. "Bye." Her friends waved weakly as she followed the Doctor away from the table. "Hey, listen pal, I'm not big on science."

"Too bad," he smirked, shouldering her bag. "Science is big on you."

"Why are you so weird?" Rose asked, partially insulting and partially curious.

"Who, me?" He made a face. "I'm not weird, I'm just... clever. Extremely clever." He glanced back at Rose and continued softly, "You are, too, you just haven't realized it yet."

"I think you're crazy," Rose plainly stated.

"Yes, that, too." The Doctor kept walking at a break neck pace, leading Rose to the cafe they were supposed to meet at. He opened the door for her and waved her in. She went, furious at her mother. "Right here," the Doctor gestured to a little booth in the corner. Rose sat and watched as he sank down opposite her. "So, science. Let's talk science. I love science. Especially space and time. Wonderful things, really."

Rose cut him off, as she felt a ramble building. "Aren't you supposed to help me with my homework?"

"Right, that, yes, what are you learning about?"

"I don't know, it's in my bag," she pointed to where the Doctor had set it down on the seat next to him.

"Ah." He opened it up.

"Hey, that's my stuff!" Rose made a grab across the booth.

"Oh sorry," he muttered, handing to bag over. Rose dug out some papers and tossed them on the table. He quickly snatched them up. "Theory of evolution." He threw the paper back at her and gave a quizzical look. "Fascinating, let's see early twenty-first century. Now that would be after you abandoned flat earth before you found out who built the pyramids, right?"

Rose gave him a blank stare. "You are insane."

The Doctor grinned. "Well, I've been told that before. No matter, though, they say potato, I say genius." At that moment a waitress interrupted to take their order. Rose got a coffee and the Doctor ordered Earl Grey. "Back to the matter at hand," he continued, as though he'd never paused for breath. "No reptile people yet, correct? So that means we're talking about Mendel and his plants. Great chap, excellent split pea soup. Unsurprising, I suppose, given his green thumb." He paused to look at Rose. She was staring at him wide-eyed and incredulous. "Sorry," he looked down, "I get carried away."

She shook her head and laughed a bit. "Are you kidding me? You came from the agency? Recommended?"

"I came from an agency," he said defensively. "And I have some recommendations I could provide. A list perhaps? Names? Einstein would vouch for me, I'm certain." At that moment the waitress returned with their drinks, setting them down with a smile. "Thanks," the Doctor smiled back.

"I think I'm leaving now," Rose told him with a roll of her eyes.

"But you haven't finished your coffee." He looked at her with a sad sort of smile.

"And I'm not sure I want to if I have to sit here and listen to you spew nonsense," she spat back. "Look, I'm only here to make my mom happy and keep from getting grounded."

The sad smile grew wistful. "You might need to know this someday."

Rose laughed, flat out laughed. "Yeah, because a shop girl really needs to know about science."

The Doctor stared at her and waited for her to stop laughing. Leaning forward, he softly told her, "You won't always be a shop girl."

"What do you think you know about my life?" Rose glared back. Her gaze grew questioning as the man took a moment to shake his head.

"More than I need to and much less than I wanted to," he muttered. He pushed his tea away and continued without looking at her, mostly to himself, "This was a mistake."

"Well, that's all I needed to hear," Rose perked up. She stuffed her papers back in her bag and tossed a few pounds on the table. "Have a lovely afternoon and I'm sure I'll be seeing you again once my mother hears about this." She stood and walked away, barely noticing her companion wasn't paying any attention to her.

"Wait," he called out, standing and chasing after her. He caught up at the door and placed a hand on her arm to stop her.

"What do you want?" Rose snapped, turning back.

"Just, take care. I won't be seeing you again, but life will get better for you," he grinned, voice sincere.

"Yeah, right," Rose replied shortly before pushing out the door and leaving the Doctor standing alone, a lost look on his face.

After a few moments he gathered his wits and went out into the busy London street. In a fog he walked to where he'd left the TARDIS, thinking only of Rose, his Rose, the one who looked at him like he was the only man in the universe, the one he'd left standing on a beach with her happily ever after. She gets to spend the rest of her life with the Doctor, and in this reality he has to live on alone. Once inside he closed the doors and leaned heavily against them. Only then did he allow the tear hanging in the corner of his eye to fall. The curse of the Timelords. He trudged to the controls and set the ship in motion, vowing to never contact Rose again.


End file.
